HD 88072 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
HD 88072 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 88072, located approximately 117.1 light-years (35.91 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2022 by Multiple Observatories using the Radial Velocity detection technique (measuring periodic Doppler reflex motion in the host star's spectrum), this world measures 12.6 Earth radii (1.12 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 2511.798 Earth masses (7.9 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 6.92 g/cm³ (an iron-enriched, high-compression rocky core), a surface gravity of 15.82 g⊕ (155.14 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 157.9 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around HD 88072, HD 88072 b completes one full revolution every 18538.793 Earth days (50.76Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 13.895 AU (a wide outer-system orbit beyond Jupiter's 5.20 AU distance in our Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 8.2 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). Its moderate orbital eccentricity of e = 0.156 carries the world between 11.7274 AU at periapsis and 16.0626 AU at apoapsis, driving measurable seasonal insolation cycles.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 76 K (-197°C / -323°F) and an incident flux of 0.01 S⊕ (~8 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on HD 88072 b would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star HD 88072 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,785 K, a radius of 1.032 R☉, a mass of 1.04 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.07 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.043 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, HD 88072 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 7.55 (accessible to binoculars and small amateur telescopes) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.
Methodology: Computed using the Schulze-Makuch et al. (2011) weighted metric comparing physical interior (radius, estimated density) and surface thermal regime (escape velocity, equilibrium temperature).
Discovery Facility: Multiple Observatories · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | HD 88072 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,785 K |
| Stellar Radius | 1.0320 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.0400 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 1.07 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.043 dex |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 7.550 · G: 7.377 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 13.895000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 18538.793 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 8.2 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.15600 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 169.6260° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 6.92 g/cm³ (157.9 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.0056 S⊕ (~8 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 117.100 LY (35.910 pc) |